Can't Help Themselves
by dannyxriley
Summary: The four (almost five) times Danny and Riley kiss, and they tell themselves it means nothing, and the one time that doesn't work. Rated T for mild sexual references


The first time they kiss, it's spur of the moment. Riley blames it on the adrenaline. Danny knows better than that.

He just can't help himself. Because there she is, standing in front of him in that blue dress, just like the one she wore down by the reservoir his freshman year. And she is bright, and beautiful, and so amazingly _Riley_ , and he guesses that maybe he can blame his impulsiveness on the excitement of the moment, but he knows that isn't true. He's wanted to kiss her for as long as he can remember – the sight of her beaming up at him, excitement twinkling in her eyes, pushing him over the edge. But he can't find it in himself to care because all he knows is that he's _kissing Riley Perrin,_ his hands cupping the sides of her face, and everything is _good_ and _right_.

When he pulls away, he pretends like his life hasn't changed forever, because now he knows that kissing Riley is maybe ( _most definitely_ ) the best feeling in the world, and that he won't rest until she is the only person he's kissing for the rest of his life.

* * *

The second time they kiss, they pretend they don't remember. But Danny remembers. And Riley does, too.

She's sitting on top of him, regretting ever wishing that she could save someone's life on the job, because right now she feels like she's drowning, and she needs Danny to come and save her, but he _can't_ because he's not even _breathing_.

Her heart is beating abnormally quickly, and she wishes more than anything that she could give its extra beats to Danny, because God knows that he needs them more than her right now. She tries not to focus on the magnitude of the situation, pressing her hands into his chest, doing her best to try and resuscitate him.

"It's not working," Tucker comments, and Riley wishes that he would just _shut up_ because she _knows_ it isn't working, but she can't lose him, she just can't.

She puts her lips on his one more time, hoping that maybe this time it'll work, when she hears it. "Riley?"

His voice is groggy and soft, but it's _there_ , and the next thing she knows his hands are everywhere at once, and she's clinging onto him for dear life, pressing her lips against his as firmly as possible to make sure that he's still there, and that she's not dreaming. Her hands greedily take in as much of him as possible, smoothing over his shoulders and his arms, and _God_ , he's alive, he's –

What on _earth_ is she doing? She jumps back. "Danny!"

"Riley!"

And then the next thing she remembers, Danny is pressing her close to his chest, his strong arms encircling her, keeping her safe.

She tells him that she doesn't remember anything before then because he doesn't even remember the kiss, so why confuse him? He doesn't need to know. And maybe if he doesn't know, she can pretend like it never happened. So that's what she does, and it works perfectly.

Except for when it doesn't.

Because sometimes when he says something a little extra sweet, or she hugs him, and she feels those strong arms around her, she remembers with a pang of _regret? guilt?_ that kiss from the elevator.

But besides that, she manages just fine.

* * *

The third time they kiss, she's using him. Riley gets pretty into it. Danny gets a little _too_ into it.

He tries to keep himself calm, but he's a _man_ , after all, and having her lying on top of him with her shirt half off does things to him, things he's not particularly proud of.

He'd be lying if he said he's never pictured this situation before because he has, plenty of times, but, _God,_ this is better than he's ever imagined it to be. She's a little more than just enthusiastic, her hands running through his hair, every curve of hers pressed perfectly into his bare chest, and he can't help his hands from sliding themselves around her waist to pull her just a little bit closer. She's so undeniably sexy when she's determined like this, and he's just about as turned on as he's ever been in his life.

He's not lying about needing a few minutes once the kiss is over. He needs them to get his mind (and his body) back under control. He tells himself that it's not right to Riley for him to pervert their relationship like this, but then he remembers the feel of her hips against his and the delicious burn that had been building between them, and his mind can't help but wander to a place where Lauren doesn't come barging in, and they have the whole apartment to themselves…

He tries to stop himself, but he can't, so he takes this as a sign that he should perhaps get his, erm, _needs_ under control. So, no, he's not proud of it, but he takes Logan to bed, and he pretends that her hair is shorter, her face rounder, her voice softer. And it works. It's a quick fix, and it doesn't last for long, but it works for as long as he needs it to.

But after Logan, he does his best to avoid blondes. It's just easier that way.

* * *

The fourth time they kiss, it's just a peck. Danny feels the spark he always does. For the first time, Riley feels a spark, too.

He's down on one knee in front of her, goofily declaring his undying love, and for some reason she finds it a bit unsettling, but she just brushes it off. They're _rehearsing_ , she reminds herself. It's not a big deal.

And it isn't, or at least, it really shouldn't be. So when she leans down to give him a chaste peck, she's surprised when she feels it – a shot of electricity starting from where their lips meet that radiates throughout her whole body. Her eyes open, startled at the sensation. It means nothing, absolutely nothing. She's sure of it.

And that's when she spots Phillip across the bar and as good as runs to him. She tells herself it's not because she's scared of how a simple peck could give off such a spark, and she tells herself she's only flustered by Phillip's sudden appearance and most definitely _not_ by the feeling of Danny's lips against hers. She tells herself that she's not running _away_ from Danny but just running _towards_ Phillip.

That's what she tells herself. Eventually, she starts to believe it.

* * *

The fifth time they kiss, well, they don't actually kiss. But Riley leans in. Danny backs away.

He knew she would be upset that he was going away, but not like _this_. She should be okay. She has _Ben_ now, and the thought makes him absolutely _sick to his stomach_ , but Ben is her future, and _why_ isn't she okay?

"Did you break this?" Her voice is fragile and soft, and she's holding up the piece of wood that he carved their initials into all those years ago.

The real answer is, yes, he did break it. He'd broken it violently, cursing and hoping that breaking the wood would somehow heal the breaking of his heart. It hadn't.

Instead he tells her no, that it must've broken in the move. And now she's crying, and his heart physically hurts at the sight, and he has to go over there and hold her, comfort her, make her know that _it's going to be okay_.

And then she's telling him that she can't imagine a life without him, and his heart soars and breaks all at once because he knows that, while he'll always be in her life, they won't be _together_ in this life, and so he does all that he _can_ do, and he reaches out to stroke her hair and presses a kiss to her cheek.

It's longer than a friendly peck should be, and he knows it, but he can't help but linger, savoring the feeling of her smooth skin beneath his lips, knowing that this might be the last time he gets to do this, and, God, it hurts more than he thought it would.

And suddenly they're fractions of an inch away from each other, and he wants to kiss her, perhaps more than he's wanted to kiss her in his entire life. He can feel her leaning in, and he is, too, some kind of gravity pulling them closer, closer –

But he pulls away because he can't do that to Ben. He can't do that to Riley. She's in love with Ben, and Danny can't make her think she has feelings for him just because he's in love with her. He wouldn't do that, _couldn't_ do that to her.

So instead he says goodbye and gets up, spotting his brother coming up to the roof and patting him on the back on his way out. "She's all yours," Danny says.

Ben isn't so sure.

* * *

The sixth (fifth) time they kiss, it's at Bonnie's wedding to Brad. Danny knows that it's the first of many to come. Riley knows it, too.

She doesn't know how it starts, just knows that one minute, Ben is officiating Bonnie's wedding, and the next, Danny has his arms wrapped around her waist and hers are around his neck and she's kissing him hard, trying to make sure that he's really here this time, here to _stay_.

He is, and his next words prove it to her. "I always knew we'd end up here someday," he announces, seemingly to the room, but his eyes are only on her. "So what do you say, Riley? Will you marry me?"

And now he's on one knee, and, God, this is moving fast, but Riley's always known deep down that they'd end up here someday, too.

It's perfect. _They're_ perfect. She doesn't know why she's fought it so long, bottled it all up inside. They're meant to be. Soulmates. She can feel it in his kiss, in the way he holds her, in the way he looks at her, _is_ looking at her right now.

She says the only word that pops into mind.

* * *

There are too many more kisses after that to count – chaste pecks on the lips to say hello, deep kisses that make Ben scrunch up his face and kindly ask them to get a room. Rushed kisses as Danny heads out onto the ice before a big game, and congratulations kisses when Riley wins a big trial. Ecstatic kisses they share on their wedding day, unable to believe their luck, and sensual, needy kisses on their wedding night – tender, adoring kisses when Riley tells him what they can expect in nine months as a result of their newlywed haste. Good morning kisses, good night kisses, good-luck-at-work-today kisses.

Thank God they've always been good at this whole kissing thing.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this Diley fluff. Please leave a review to let me know what you thought!


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